The only kind of New Year's Eve I ever want to have

[image error]Good morning 2011. Last night was so fun. Amanda Stern hosted a small dinner party at her house, and I couldn't have enjoyed myself more, for a number of reasons:

[image error]1. Amanda lives four blocks away from me. There were no hellishly sluggish subways or drunk crowds to navigate. When I was ready to go home I simply said my goodbyes and left.

2. She served a FEAST: Roast chicken, saffron rice, two different kinds of salad, cous cous with raisons and veggies, roasted vegetables, pecan pie, brownies. (I contributed Butternut squash soup.)

3. She managed to assemble the perfect group of people (for me, anyway): My good friends Derek and Kristin, who are the parents of the ridiculously cute New Year's baby pictured below, the writer Colson Whitehead, who is a doll, the filmmaker Hal Hartley, whose work I've been a fan of for years and turns out to be so sweet and laid-back, Amanda's new(ish) boyfriend, Luke, who who gets a huge stamp of approval from me, Luke's scarily precocious 10-year-old daughter, Frances, and Amanda's scarily precocious niece, Lily (also the daughter of my yoga teacher, Eddie), and a delightful assortment of other cool peeps.

4. We did a few of my favorite things: Ate, threw confetti, played "Mafia," and ate some more.

Now it's time to get up and face 2011. I feel much more equipped, now, after that wonderful night. Happy New Year, everyone![image error][image error][image error]